Some of the best leaf-peeping in New England is a short drive from downtown Burlington — no plane ticket, no all-day expedition, just a tank of gas and an afternoon. This is a local's shortlist of three scenic drives you can start from Church Street: a dramatic mountain pass, a long ribbon down the spine of the Green Mountains, and a quieter loop under Vermont's highest peak. You'll get honest notes on the route, when the color actually peaks, what to watch for on the road, and a calm, at-home way to close out the day once you're back. If you'd rather be on foot, our foliage hikes guide covers the trails; this one is for the windshield.

When does fall foliage peak near Burlington?

Color moves through Vermont from the top down — high elevations and the north country turn first, the valleys last. For drivers around Burlington, that gives you a moving target you can use to your advantage:

• Late September into the first week of October: northern Vermont and the higher elevations — the mountain passes, the summits, the Notch — are usually well along or peaking.
• Early-to-mid October: the Champlain Valley and Burlington's lower elevations — the waterfront, the Intervale, neighborhood maples — hit their stride.

The upshot: if the valley isn't quite there yet, gain elevation to find color; if the high country has already dropped its leaves, stay low. Peak dates shift year to year with the weather, so it's worth checking the state's official foliage report the week you plan to drive.

Smugglers' Notch — the dramatic mountain pass (VT Route 108)

Roughly 45 minutes from Church Street to the Notch. Take I-89 to Route 15 through Jericho and Cambridge to Jeffersonville, then turn onto Route 108 and climb south toward Stowe — or run it the other direction from the Stowe side. Either way, the payoff is the same: a narrow, twisting road that threads between the sheer cliffs of Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak, with house-sized boulders sitting right beside the pavement and hardwoods blazing up the slopes above you.

This is the most dramatic drive on the list and the one that needs the most care. The Notch section is a single tight lane in places with hairpin switchbacks, posted as impassable for large RVs, trailers, and buses — every year a few try anyway and get stuck. Go slow, use the pull-offs to let color-gawkers and faster traffic by, and don't stop in the roadway. It's also the drive most sensitive to timing:

• The Notch road closes for the season once winter weather sets in — typically in late fall — and it stays closed until spring. An early cold snap can close it sooner, so check conditions before you commit.
• Because it climbs high, the color here tends to run early — often peaking in that late-September-to-early-October window rather than mid-month.

Route 100 — the classic Green Mountain ribbon

About 30–40 minutes to reach the start. Take I-89 south to the Waterbury exit and pick up Route 100, often called Vermont's 'Main Street.' It runs north–south along the eastern edge of the Green Mountains, and the southbound stretch through the Mad River Valley — Waitsfield and Warren — is a postcard: covered bridges, farm stands, church steeples, and hillsides of maple and birch on both sides of the road.

This is the low-stress, high-reward option. The road is a normal two-lane highway — no hairpins, no seasonal gate — so it suits any vehicle and any comfort level behind the wheel. Make it as long or short as you like:

• Short version: Waterbury down to Waitsfield and back — an easy couple of hours with plenty of places to stop for cider, a coffee, or a photo.
• Longer version: keep going south through Warren and the Granville Gulf reserve, a quiet forested stretch with a roadside waterfall pull-off, then loop back.
• North instead: from Waterbury, Route 100 also runs up toward Stowe, wrapping the base of the Mansfield range with the mountain filling your windshield.

The Underhill loop — quiet valley views under Mount Mansfield

Around 35–45 minutes each way. For the least-crowded option, head out Route 15 to Jericho and up to Underhill Center, tucked against the west face of Mount Mansfield — the state's highest peak. This side of the mountain sees far fewer leaf-peepers than the Stowe side, and the reward is wide-open farmland-and-forest views with Mansfield's long ridgeline as the backdrop.

From Underhill, you can drive up toward Underhill State Park for a closer look at the peak (the access road climbs a bit, so mind the surface late in the season), then connect along Pleasant Valley Road toward Cambridge for a mellow rural loop back through Jeffersonville. It's the drive to pick when you want color and calm over drama — good for a slow Sunday, a first-timer, or anyone who'd rather avoid a busy pass.

Which drive should I pick?

Match the route to your day and your comfort behind the wheel:

• Most dramatic, and you're up for a winding mountain road: Smugglers' Notch — on a clear, dry day, before it closes for the season.
• Classic Vermont with zero stress: Route 100 through the Mad River Valley. Works for any vehicle and any driver.
• Quiet and uncrowded: the Underhill loop under Mansfield's west face.
• Short on time: Route 100 from Waterbury to Waitsfield and back is the easiest to keep to a couple of hours.

How do I unwind at home after a foliage drive?

Here's the Vermont-specific part worth saying plainly: public consumption isn't permitted anywhere in the state — not in your car, at a pull-off, or at a scenic overlook. And obviously, cannabis and driving don't mix — the drive is for the daylight and the color, full stop. So the wind-down is a home ritual: you get back, put the kettle on, and settle in for a quiet evening while the day's views are still fresh.

If cannabis is part of that evening, shop by format rather than chasing a specific product, since the menu rotates constantly. A few formats that suit a low-key night in after a long drive:

• A low-dose edible — a gummy, mint, or chocolate — for a slow, hands-off evening. Edibles come on gradually, so take one low dose and give it real time; our beginner's dosing guide covers the timing.
• A chocolate bar you can portion into small squares, which makes it easy to keep the dose modest across a relaxed evening.
• A pre-roll, if you'd rather something you can enjoy on your own porch or in your own living room — just remember 'your own private property' is the whole point in Vermont. If you're weighing classic vs. infused, we compare them here.

This is the same cozy-at-home spirit as our leaf-peeping season wind-down guide — and if you're curious what fall's fresh harvest looks like on the shelf, Croptober is the flower-lover's version of leaf-peeping.

Where do I pick something up before or after the drive?

Float On is on Church Street in downtown Burlington — an easy stop before you point the car toward the hills, or on your way back through town. You can browse the live menu and order ahead under your name, or just walk in and ask a budtender to point you to a gentle, low-key format for a night in. Bring a valid 21+ photo ID, and note that the menu price is the final, all-in price — Vermont's 14% cannabis excise and 6% sales tax are already included, so nothing is added at the counter. Planning your visit downtown? Our downtown Burlington guide covers the area around the shop.